Carebara is a genus of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae. It is one of the largest myrmicine genera with more than 200 species distributed worldwide in the tropics and the Afrotropical region. Many of them are very tiny cryptic soil and leaf-litter inhabitants. They nest in rotten wood to which the bark is still adherent in the Afrotropical region, or may be , nesting near other ant species. Some species are known to exist parasitically within termite nests. Little is known about the biology of the genus, but they are notable for the vast difference in size between queens and workers.
Species
Extant
- Carebara aberrans <small>(Santschi, 1937)</small>
- Carebara aborensis <small>(Wheeler, 1913)</small>
- Carebara acuta <small>(Weber, 1952)</small>
- Carebara acutispina <small>(Xu, 2003)</small>
- Carebara adisaki <small>Wimolsuthikul & Jaitrong, 2024</small>
- Carebara affinis <small>(Jerdon, 1851)</small>
- Carebara afghana <small>(Pisarski, 1970)</small>
- Carebara africana <small>(Forel, 1910)</small>
- Carebara alluaudi <small>(Santschi, 1913)</small>
- Carebara alperti <small>Fernández, 2010</small>
- Carebara alpha <small>(Forel, 1905)</small>
- Carebara altinodus <small>(Xu, 2003)</small>
- Carebara amia <small>(Forel, 1913)</small>
- Carebara ampla <small>Santschi, 1912</small>
- Carebara angolensis <small>(Santschi, 1914)</small>
- Carebara angulata <small>Fernández, 2004</small>
- Carebara anophthalma <small>(Emery, 1906)</small>
- Carebara arabara <small>Fernández, 2010</small>
- Carebara arabica <small>(Collingwood & Van Harten, 2001)</small>
- Carebara armata <small>(Donisthorpe, 1948)</small>
- Carebara arnoldi <small>(Forel, 1913)</small>
- Carebara arnoldiella <small>(Santschi, 1919)</small>
- Carebara asina <small>(Forel, 1902)</small>
- Carebara atoma <small>(Emery, 1900)</small>
- Carebara audita <small>Fernández, 2004</small>
- Carebara bara <small>Azorsa & Fisher, 2018</small>
- Carebara bartrumi <small>Weber, 1943</small>
- Carebara bengalensis <small>(Forel, 1902)</small>
- Carebara berivelo <small>Azorsa & Fisher, 2018</small>
- Carebara beta <small>(Forel, 1905)</small>
- Carebara betsi <small>Azorsa & Fisher, 2018</small>
- Carebara bicarinata <small>Santschi, 1912</small>
- Carebara bifida <small>Matsuura et al., 2025</small>
- Carebara bihornata <small>(Xu, 2003)</small>
- Carebara bokorensis <small>Matsuura & Hosoishi, 2024</small>
- Carebara borealis <small>(Terayama, 1996)</small>
- Carebara bouvardi <small>(Santschi, 1913)</small>
- Carebara brasiliana <small>Fernández, 2004</small>
- Carebara brevipilosa <small>Fernández, 2004</small>
- Carebara bruchi <small>(Santschi, 1933)</small>
- Carebara bruni <small>(Forel, 1913)</small>
- Carebara butteli <small>(Forel, 1913)</small>
- Carebara capreola <small>(Wheeler, 1927)</small>
- Carebara carinata <small>Bharti & Kumar, 2013</small>
- Carebara castanea <small>Smith, 1858</small>
- Carebara ceylonensis <small>(Forel, 1911)</small>
- Carebara coeca <small>Fernández, 2004</small>
- Carebara colobopsis <small>Hosoishi & Yamane, 2022</small>
- Carebara concinna <small>(Mayr, 1867)</small>
- Carebara convexa <small>(Weber, 1950)</small>
- Carebara coqueta <small>Fernández, 2006</small>
- Carebara cornigera <small>(Forel, 1902)</small>
- Carebara crassiuscula <small>(Emery, 1900)</small>
- Carebara creolei <small>Azorsa & Fisher, 2018</small>
- Carebara cribriceps <small>(Wheeler, 1927)</small>
- Carebara crigensis <small>(Belshaw & Bolton, 1994)</small>
- Carebara curvispina <small>(Xu, 2003)</small>
- Carebara dazia <small>Fisher, 2025</small>
- Carebara debilis <small>(Santschi, 1913)</small>
- Carebara demeter <small>Azorsa & Fisher, 2018</small>
- Carebara dentata <small>Bharti & Kumar, 2013</small>
- Carebara deponens <small>(Walker, 1859)</small>
- Carebara diabola <small>(Santschi, 1913)</small>
- Carebara diabolica <small>(Baroni Urbani, 1969)</small>
- Carebara distincta <small>(Bolton & Belshaw, 1993)</small>
- Carebara diversa <small>(Jerdon, 1851)</small>
- Carebara donisthorpei <small>(Weber, 1950)</small>
- Carebara dota <small>Azorsa & Fisher, 2018</small>
- Carebara eguchii <small>Matsuura et al., 2025</small>
- Carebara elmenteitae <small>(Patrizi, 1948)</small>
- Carebara elongata <small>Fernández, 2004</small>
- Carebara erythraea <small>(Emery, 1915)</small>
- Carebara escherichi <small>(Forel, 1911)</small>
- Carebara fayrouzae <small>Sharaf, 2013</small>
- Carebara frontalis <small>(Weber, 1950)</small>
- Carebara globularia <small>Fernández, 2004</small>
- Carebara grandidieri <small>(Forel, 1891)</small>
- Carebara guineana <small>Fernández, 2006</small>
- Carebara gustavmayri <small>Fischer et al., 2014</small>
- Carebara hainteny <small>Azorsa & Fisher, 2018</small>
- Carebara hammoniae <small>(Stitz, 1923)</small>
- Carebara hannya <small>(Terayama, 1996)</small>
- Carebara hiragasy <small>Azorsa & Fisher, 2018</small>
- Carebara hornata <small>Bharti & Kumar, 2013</small>
- Carebara hostilis <small>(Smith, 1858)</small>
- Carebara hunanensis <small>(Wu & Wang, 1995)</small>
- Carebara inca <small>Fernández, 2004</small>
- Carebara incerta <small>(Santschi, 1919)</small>
- Carebara incierta <small>Fernández, 2004</small>
- Carebara infima <small>(Santschi, 1913)</small>
- Carebara intermedia <small>Fernández, 2004</small>
- Carebara jacobsoni <small>(Forel, 1911)</small>
- Carebara jajoby <small>Azorsa & Fisher, 2018</small>
- Carebara jeanneli <small>(Santschi, 1913)</small>
- Carebara jiangxiensis <small>(Wu & Wang, 1995)</small>
- Carebara junodi <small>Forel, 1904</small>
- Carebara kabosy <small>Azorsa & Fisher, 2018</small>
- Carebara khamiensis <small>(Arnold, 1952)</small>
- Carebara kofana <small>Fernández, 2004</small>
- Carebara kunensis <small>(Ettershank, 1966)</small>
- Carebara lamellifrons <small>(Forel, 1902)</small>
- Carebara langi <small>Wheeler, 1922</small>
- Carebara latinoda <small>(Zhou & Zheng, 1997)</small>
- Carebara latro <small>(Santschi, 1937)</small>
- Carebara leei <small>(Forel, 1902)</small>
- Carebara lignata <small>Westwood, 1840</small>
- Carebara lilith <small>Fischer et al., 2015</small>
- Carebara lithophila <small>Yamane et al., 2025</small>
- Carebara longiceps <small>(Santschi, 1929)</small>
- Carebara longii <small>(Wheeler, 1903)</small>
- Carebara lova <small>Azorsa & Fisher, 2018</small>
- Carebara lucida <small>(Santschi, 1917)</small>
- Carebara lusciosa <small>(Wheeler, 1928)</small>
- Carebara luzonensis <small>Fischer et al., 2014</small>
- Carebara maccus <small>(Wheeler, 1929)</small>
- Carebara madibai <small>Fischer & Azorsa, 2014</small>
- Carebara mahafaly <small>Azorsa & Fisher, 2018</small>
- Carebara majeri <small>Fernández, 2004</small>
- Carebara malagasy <small>Azorsa & Fisher, 2018</small>
- Carebara manni <small>(Donisthorpe, 1941)</small>
- Carebara mayri <small>(Forel, 1901)</small>
- Carebara melanocephala <small>(Donisthorpe, 1948)</small>
- Carebara melasolena <small>(Zhou & Zheng, 1997)</small>
- Carebara menozzii <small>(Ettershank, 1966)</small>
- Carebara minima <small>(Emery, 1900)</small>
- Carebara minuta <small>Fernández, 2004</small>
- Carebara mjobergi <small>(Forel, 1915)</small>
- Carebara mukkaliensis <small>Bharti & Akbar, 2014</small>
- Carebara nana <small>(Santschi, 1919)</small>
- Carebara nanningensis <small>(Li & Tang, 1986)</small>
- Carebara nayana <small>(Sheela & Narendran, 1997)</small>
- Carebara nicotianae <small>(Arnold, 1948)</small>
- Carebara norfolkensis <small>(Donisthorpe, 1941)</small>
- Carebara nosindambo <small>(Forel, 1891)</small>
- Carebara nuda <small>Fernández, 2004</small>
- Carebara obscura <small>(Viehmeyer, 1914)</small>
- Carebara obtusidenta <small>(Xu, 2003)</small>
- Carebara octata <small>(Bolton & Belshaw, 1993)</small>
- Carebara oertzeni <small>(Forel, 1886)</small>
- Carebara omasi <small>Azorsa & Fisher, 2018</small>
- Carebara oni <small>(Terayama, 1996)</small>
- Carebara osborni <small>Wheeler, 1922</small>
- Carebara overbecki <small>(Viehmeyer, 1916)</small>
- Carebara paeta <small>(Santschi, 1937)</small>
- Carebara panamensis <small>(Wheeler, 1925)</small>
- Carebara panhai <small>Jaitrong et al., 2021</small>
- Carebara parva <small>Wimolsuthikul & Jaitrong, 2024</small>
- Carebara patrizii <small>Menozzi, 1927</small>
- Carebara paya <small>Fernández, 2004</small>
- Carebara periyarensis <small>Dhadwal & Bharti, 2022</small>
- Carebara perpusilla <small>(Emery, 1895)</small>
- Carebara peruviana <small>(Emery, 1906)</small>
- Carebara petulca <small>(Wheeler, 1922)</small>
- Carebara petulens <small>(Santschi, 1920)</small>
- Carebara phragmotica <small>Fischer et al., 2015</small>
- Carebara pilosa <small>Fernández, 2004</small>
- Carebara pisinna <small>(Bolton & Belshaw, 1993)</small>
- Carebara placida <small>Azorsa & Fisher, 2018</small>
- Carebara polyphemus <small>(Wheeler, 1928)</small>
- Carebara propomegata <small>Bharti & Kumar, 2013</small>
- Carebara pseudolusciosa <small>(Wu & Wang, 1995)</small>
- Carebara pullata <small>(Santschi, 1920)</small>
- Carebara pumilia <small>Fischer et al., 2014</small>
- Carebara pygmaea <small>(Emery, 1887)</small>
- Carebara qianliyan <small>Terayama, 2009</small>
- Carebara quratulain <small>Akbar & Bharti, 2017</small>
- Carebara raberi <small>Azorsa & Fisher, 2018</small>
- Carebara raja <small>(Forel, 1902)</small>
- Carebara rara <small>(Bolton & Belshaw, 1993)</small>
- Carebara rectangulata <small>Bharti & Kumar, 2013</small>
- Carebara rectidorsa <small>(Xu, 2003)</small>
- Carebara reina <small>Fernández, 2004</small>
- Carebara reticapita <small>(Xu, 2003)</small>
- Carebara reticulata <small>Fernández, 2004</small>
- Carebara robertsoni <small>(Bolton & Belshaw, 1993)</small>
- Carebara rothneyi <small>(Forel, 1902)</small>
- Carebara rubra <small>(Smith, 1860)</small>
- Carebara rugata <small>(Forel, 1913)</small>
- Carebara rugoflabella <small>Fischer et al., 2014</small>
- Carebara sakamotoi <small>Terayama et al., 2012</small>
- Carebara salegi <small>Azorsa & Fisher, 2018</small>
- Carebara sampi <small>Azorsa & Fisher, 2018</small>
- Carebara sangi <small>(Eguchi & Bui, 2007)</small>
- Carebara santschii <small>(Weber, 1943)</small>
- Carebara sarasinorum <small>(Emery, 1901)</small>
- Carebara sarita <small>(Bolton & Belshaw, 1993)</small>
- Carebara satana <small>(Karavaiev, 1935)</small>
- Carebara sauteri <small>(Forel, 1912)</small>
- Carebara semilaevis <small>(Mayr, 1901)</small>
- Carebara sharjahensis <small>(Mayr, 1901)</small>
- Carebara sicheli <small>Mayr, 1862</small>
- Carebara silenus <small>(Smith, 1858)</small>
- Carebara silvestrii <small>(Santschi, 1914)</small>
- Carebara similis <small>(Mayr, 1862)</small>
- Carebara sinhala <small>Fische et al., 2014</small>
- Carebara sodalis <small>(Emery, 1914)</small>
- Carebara solitaria <small>(Stitz, 1910)</small>
- Carebara spinata <small>Bharti & Kumar, 2013</small>
- Carebara stenoptera <small>(Kusnezov, 1952)</small>
- Carebara striata <small>(Xu, 2003)</small>
- Carebara sublatro <small>(Forel, 1913)</small>
- Carebara subreptor <small>(Emery, 1900)</small>
- Carebara sudanensis <small>(Weber, 1943)</small>
- Carebara sudanica <small>Santschi, 1933</small>
- Carebara sundaica <small>(Forel, 1913)</small>
- Carebara tahitiensis <small>(Wheeler, 1936)</small>
- Carebara taiponica <small>(Wheeler, 1928)</small>
- Carebara tana <small>Azorsa & Fisher, 2018</small>
- Carebara tanana <small>Azorsa & Fisher, 2018</small>
- Carebara tenua <small>Fernández, 2004</small>
- Carebara terayamai <small>Bharti & Akbar, 2014</small>
- Carebara termitolestes <small>(Wheeler, 1918)</small>
- Carebara thoracica <small>(Weber, 1950)</small>
- Carebara traegaordhi <small>(Santschi, 1914)</small>
- Carebara transversalis <small>(Smith, 1860)</small>
- Carebara trechideros <small>(Zhou & Zheng, 1997)</small>
- Carebara ugandana <small>(Santschi, 1923)</small>
- Carebara urichi <small>(Wheeler, 1922)</small>
- Carebara varia <small>(Santschi, 1920)</small>
- Carebara vazimba <small>Azorsa & Fisher, 2018</small>
- Carebara vespillo <small>(Wheeler, 1921)</small>
- Carebara vidua <small>Smith, 1858</small>
- Carebara viehmeyeri <small>(Mann, 1919)</small>
- Carebara villiersi <small>(Bernard, 1953)</small>
- Carebara volsellata <small>(Santschi, 1937)</small>
- Carebara vorax <small>(Santschi, 1914)</small>
- Carebara weyeri <small>(Karavaiev, 1930)</small>
- Carebara wheeleri <small>(Ettershank, 1966)</small>
- Carebara wroughtonii <small>(Forel, 1902)</small>
- Carebara xynera <small>Fisher, 2025</small>
- Carebara yamatonis <small>(Terayama, 1996)</small>
- Carebara yanoi <small>(Forel, 1912)</small>
- Carebara zengchengensis <small>(Zhou et al., 2006)</small>
Extinct
- â Carebara andrushchenkoi <small>Zharkov & Dubovikoff, 2025</small>
- â Carebara antiqua <small>(Mayr, 1868)</small>
- â Carebara groehni <small>Radchenko & Dlussky, 2019</small>
- â Carebara kutscheri <small>Radchenko et al., 2019</small>
- â Carebara nitida <small>(Dlussky & Perkovsky, 2002)</small>
- â Carebara rugiceps <small>(Heer, 1849)</small>
- â Carebara schossnicensis <small>(Assmann, 1870)</small>
- â Carebara sophiae <small>(Emery, 1891)</small>
- â Carebara thorali <small>(Théobald, 1937)</small>
- â Carebara ucrainica <small>(Dlussky & Perkovsky, 2002)</small>
References
External links